Today we’d like to introduce you to Travis Taylor. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Highline Drifters (Drifters for short) started as a three-piece consisting of Eric Lamalfa (Vocals, Guitar), Rip Nolan (Bass), and Travis Taylor (Drums) jamming in each other’s living rooms tackling everything from jazz standards to the great American songbook. Eric and Travis had collaborated in a group called The Atlas Grove. which featured Eric’s original storytelling-based music and had performed in local festivals. The three comrades eventually added Noah Enelow (Vocals, Mandolin), and Kelin Gibbons (Vocals, Banjo, Tele), refining their sound and adding Noah and Kelin’s carefully crafted originals. The group performed regularly in 2019 at local gathering places such as coffee shops, pizza places, gardener’s markets, and some local concert series. As buzz for the band was catching the attention of the local community, the 2020 pandemic sleuthed its way into the band members’ lives. The band traded in their performances at local haunts for backyard rehearsals which allowed them to add new compositions and covers to their song list and tighten up their live show. During this time, they also recorded their debut album, which was released early in 2021. The band found ways of sharing their sound with their audience remotely by livestreaming a series of concerts and slowly began to perform in person. As life returned to normal in 2021, the band started to branch out regionally, preforming at a variety of festivals and events throughout northern Utah. The band’s growth and popularity began to increase in 2022, and despite all being working professionals, they remained busy performing almost every weekend at local joints and returned to festival stages and concert series including Utah Arts Festival, Ogden Music Festival, Summerfest Arts Faire, Mountain Town Music Park City Area Concert Series, Sheep Mountain Farm Concert Series, and selling out their third performance at Stokes Canyon Jams Concert Series. Early in 2022, they also returned to the studio to record their sophomore album, which will be released in 2023.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The Drifters are all professionals with young families (well, except Kelin…he is the only unmarried Drifter without kids). Scheduling is difficult because we all lead relatively busy lives. We love to travel and recreate in the natural environments our original tunes are composed about. Two of us are scientists that study and educate students about natural resources, one of us is a physical therapists assistant, one of us is an economist and social justice advocate, and two of us teach music lessons. On top of that, some manage to hustle the occasional side gig performing or recording with other artists in our community. The pandemic definitely slowed things down a bit as we were just getting started. Also, quality venues were once a little sparse in the Logan, UT area and it continues to be difficult to ask a fee commensurate to the hard work bands put into their craft. Things are starting to improve, though, with new venues that have just opened in the past year and the band is now well-known and frequently requested locally.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Highline Drifters play a mix of Americana, folk, and world music with a driving rhythm section and lyrics that are socially and environmentally conscious that take the listener on a journey. The Drifters performances are diverse, as we vary their sets nightly. The audience is equally apt to hear a traditional folk tune as they are an adventurous improvisation. I think the thing I’m most proud of as a member of the band is the reputation we’ve developed as proficient musicians that are requested for their quality performances.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
This sort of a silly question for a band. Technically, the band is still young. One of my favorite memories as a band member is an annual campout, we try to do every year with our families in Spring Hollow of Logan Canyon. We kayak, paddleboard, have fires, make good food, imbibe in magical elixirs, and play some tunes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.highlinedrifters.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highlinedrifters/channel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highlinedrifters
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HighlineDrifter
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0ZlJ_HjnDo
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/hld-394105089
- Other: https://highlinedrifters.bandcamp.com/
